IJT successfully undergoes hot weather trials

Bangalore, June 9 (UNI) The Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), a sub-sonic aircraft indigenously built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has successfully completed its first phase of hot weather trials in Nagpur recently.

In a release here today, the HAL authorities said two prototypes of the aircraft (PT-1 and PT-2) have logged eight hours of flight in a span of one week. The combined 13 tests were carried out at high ambient temperature as per operational requirements. Both aircraft were soaked in hot conditions in the open for about two to three hours before the flight, while a mobile telemetry system carried out the online monitoring of flights.

The HAL authorities claimed that during the trials, all the systems worked satisfactorily and the performance of the aircraft was on expected lines. The local temperatures of all critical systems and components were monitored using temperature sensors at various locations and found to be within acceptable limits.

The trials have provided the necessary inputs for aircraft performance prediction, reliability and for improving the comfort levels of pilots under high temperature conditions, they said.

The trial of IJT, slated for induction into the Indian Air Force by early 2008, was led by HAL Chief Test Pilot Sqn Ldr (Rtd) Baldev Singh. After the successful completing of the first phase of hot weather trials, the focus was now on getting all the systems to a high degree of maturity and reliability to deliver a good flying machine to the customer at the earliest.

Commenting on the successful hot weather trial, HAL Chairman Ashok K Baweja said ''it is one more milestone achieved towards certification and introduction of a world-class trainer in 2008.'' It may be recalled that the IJT was being developed for training of pilots and would replace the ageing Kiran trainers. It was now getting ready for flying displays at the Farnoborough Airshow (UK), to be held next month.

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